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Google has scheduled the Glass Foundry — two hackathons that will give developers their first real chance for hands-on time with Google Glass, the company’s wearable computing device.

Invites went out late Tuesday to individuals that pre-ordered Google Glass during its launch at Google I/O last summer, but Google says attendance will be limited to an unspecified number of developers. The events are right around the corner: January 28-29 in San Francisco and February 1-2 in New York City.

Developers will have a device they can use during the hackathons, and they’ll have “plenty of time to write code, test it on Glass, and collaborate with other developers,” according to a private post on the Project Glass page on Google+.

Details about Google Glass have been scarce in the six months since the product was announced. Although pre-orders were accepted last summer, Google has not yet followed through to collect payment — and said it won’t until the device is ready to ship. As far as we know, that’s still expected to happen in the first half of this year.

The full text of the Glass Foundry email invite is below, along with a brief Google video previewing the event.

Glass Explorers

Join us for an early look at Glass and two full days of hacking on the upcoming Google Mirror API in San Francisco or New York. These hackathons are just for developers in the Explorer program and we’re calling them the Glass Foundry. It’s the first opportunity for a group of developers to get together and develop for Glass.

We’ll begin the first day with an introduction to Glass. You’l have a device to use while on-site. Next we’ll take a look at the Mirror API, which gives you the ability to exchange data and interact with the user over REST. We’ll then dive into development with Google engineers on site to help you at any point. At the end of the second day we’ll have a lively round of demos with some special guest judges.

If you’d like to attend this first Glass Foundry, please choose and register by Friday, January 18th at 4pm PT. There is limited space. If you are accepted, you will receive a confirmation letter with additional details and required terms after registration closes. Please don’t make any travel arrangements until your attendance is confirmed.

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About The Author

Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. After leaving traditional media in the mid-1990s, he began developing and marketing websites and continued to provide consulting services for more than 15 years. His SEO and social media clients ranged from mom-and-pop small businesses to one of the Top 5 online retailers. Matt is a longtime speaker at marketing events around the U.S., including keynote and panelist roles. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. You can read Matt's disclosures on his personal blog.